[Speedpaint] Beowulf - Grendel's Mother

The second of three fully rendered illustrations I'm doing as a project for college! I wanted to showcase the grief of Grendel's Mother over the loss of her son, as opposed to her brutality and viciousness that is far more often portrayed. She is the mother of a monster, and a monster herself, yet a mother nonetheless. Before Grendel is killed by Beowulf, Grendel's Mother is not shown going on any kind of rampage; her grief and loss is what incites her to violence and a want of revenge. As for her appearance, she's described as being a 'wolfish swimmer', and a hag of the depths; instead of making her either a sexy fish lady or a standard sea monster, I took inspiration from a hippocampus and switched the horse part with a wolf, and colored her scales to appear slightly iridescent, yet desaturated with wear and age. The bright yellow-green of her bioluminescent eyes and lures tie her to my Grendel design, and, as you'll see in the next speedpaint, my design for the Dragon at the end of the poem.

Programs: Paint Tool SAI, Clip Studio Paint, WMM
Music: Bear McCreary - God of War Soundtrack: "A Giant's Prayer", "Witch of the Woods", "Memories of Mother"
Character: Grendel's Mother, from the Old English poem, Beowulf.

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[ObserverKaine]

The grief of a mother, losing her only child of whom she alone adored.... slain by a naked man proclaiming himself above fiends. The irony, for he himself was but a fiend in the eyes of the monsters feared.

[nightstar]

The wolf like face feels perfectly out of place. It looks like how someone might describe a mythical creature to someone else. Face of a wolf, body of a fish and claws of a bear

[paigemiller]

She's so pretty you captured her beauty and elegance perfectly Mollish omg I would buy this drawing if it was a poster that's how perfectly you made this

[tearez]

I love this design! You did a really good job at expressing her emotions - I always felt that, to borrow your phrasing, " her brutality and viciousness that is far more often portrayed" were born out of the same place as the strength of the mother who lifts a car off her child, or the mother bear who mauls anyone who messes with her cubs - so it's really cool to see someone of a similar mindset!

[cinnamondreams]

Mollish you keep hoarding all the art skill and we might have to call someone on you >:(

lmao in all seriousness youre really really good at this <3

[seventh_line_art]

you are so legitly talented my guy. give me your talent

[speedcoretrax]

w o w
Mother Mollish, THIS IS POGGERS

[beasterful]

I wonder which design Ray Harryhausen would’ve came up with, had he handled the story. The orcess-fish, or this one? One thing is sure: Grendel and his mother death agony, would have had highly dramatic.

[toby_beloved]

Amazing speed paint but can we talk about the music for a sec?

[PixelatedLK]

Now the question is, what CANT you make?!